The Portland based animation studio Laika, the producers of animated adaptation of Neil Gaiman's Coraline, utilized 3D printers in their last stop-motion animation film "ParaNorman". In the old days film makers had to hand sculpt and paint every facial appliance, but with the latest 3D printing technology the team was able to produce approximately 8,800 different faces for the character Norman alone. That means Norman has faces with changeable eyebrows and mouth and can make about 1.5 million different facial expressions.

(ParaNorman/Photo /LAIKA)

Not only Norman, for other 178 puppets, over 31,000 individual facial parts were created by the 3D printers. In their previous film Coraline the team had 12,000 faces to be 3D printed. But the production of 3D printing in ParaNorman has increased to over 30,000 faces.

(credit: slashfilm)

With the use of four 3D Systems Z Printer 650 3D printers, the team was able to print the models in full color. Normally it takes one hour to 3D-print a face, but one advantage of 3D printer is you can print many faces on one print layer. So with maximum production capacity they were able to print 150 faces at once in 18 hours.

(ParaNorman/Photo /LAIKA)

ParaNorman uses 3D color printers to make replacement faces for characters and gives them a full range of facial expressions. 3D printing technology pushes the film industry forward by changing the way how stop-motion animation is made. The characters have no longer limits in the range of emotions he could express, thanks to the latest 3D printing technology.

Read the full report of a visit to studio Laika to watch production of their latest stop motion animated film ParaNorman written by Peter Sciretta.